Can't Verify/Repair Disk (No Valid Packages)

I tried to repair my disk... I got this message...

Verify permissions for "Harddrive"
Error: No valid packages (-9997)

What is this? How do I fix it?

instead of verifying just repair, but it could be telling you nothing is wrong with selected HD

It sounds like you were trying to repair permissions and not a disk repair.
You cannot repair a disk or volume that is used as the startup disk.
I would suggest booting from your OS X CD, then run Disk Utitily and trying to repair the disk from that.
Once you have successfully repaired the disk, then reboot from the HD and run a Permissions repair then.

I would ask this question. Are you trying to repair your system while you are using it, as in repairing your system volume, while your system is up and running? If this is the case, then you will need to do what D3v1L80Y suggested. Boot from a install CD, then proceed.

GT5.0 said:

I tried to repair my disk... I got this message...

Verify permissions for "Harddrive"
Error: No valid packages (-9997)

What is this? How do I fix it?

Click to expand...

Did you by any chance delete anything in /Library/Reciepts?

I did not delete anything from the Library/Reciepts.

I am only trying to repair "permissions"

I have done this action 100s of times before, I click on Disk Utility and verify permissions on the harddrive. After it does that, I then repair the permissions.

I am not trying to repair the disk.

Reason I asked is thats where DiskUtil finds out what permissions to use, from the reciepts. Sounds like you might need to repair the disk as others said, or (heaven forbid) reinstall.

Might want to do a search here or at macosxhints on "can't repair permissions" and see what comes up.

There are a few receipts in the folder...



There are however no packages inside the folder packages. Hmm.

If all you have are those 8, that's probably the problem. Mine has 63, and includes the BSD subsystem and other system stuff. (unless you're looking at the reciepts folder in your User library?)

If you dont have the original install reciepts, repair permissions will choke because it can't find anything to get info from.

The Packages folder is where SoftwareUpdate saves packages when you select 'Install and keep package' or 'Download Only' from the menu.

Alright, well I bought a Acomdata 160 GB Firewire External HD.

I need to transfer everything over, in order to reload the OS, how do I make an image of my data?

When I tried to copy over my personal Documents folder it said...

Can't copy "icon"

And then it stopped the transfer.

You could use the ditto command. Open a terminal and type man ditto.
I dont remember the syntax off the top of my head.

Make sure you use the -rsrc switch to preserve resources.

That went over my head. I know what terminal is. But what do I type exactly? "ditto" or "man ditto"?

Also what is -rsrc?

Other than that, can I just reload my OSX?

Probably be easier to just reinstall. Backup your stuff first.
man stands for manual. "man ditto" will give you the manual page for ditto.

I just reinstalled 10.3

I am back up to 10.3.9 and all is well. I can repair again.

Thanks for the help.